Combination drip stopper



Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOIL A-/ber Ha/dane Gee ATTORNEY v.

' Sept. 2, 1947. A. H.- GEE COMBINATION DRIP STOPPER Filed Sept. 9, 1944 COMBINATION Sept. 2, 1947.

GEE

DRIP STOPPER Filed Sept. 9, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y INVENTOR. Albe/ Ha/o'ane ee W91 ZL/l f ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 2, 1947 COMBNATION DRIP STOPPER Albert Haldane Gee, New York, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to lWilliam R. Warner &

Co., Inc., Delaware New York, N. Y., a corporation of Application September 9, 1944, Serial No. 553,377 6 Claims. (Cl. 12S-214) The present invention relates to dispensing apparatus particularly adapted for the administration of medicinals and nutrients. Heretofore apparatus employed for the parenteral administration of solutions has generally included a separate instrumentality known as a drip meter for Visually indicating to the physician or other operator the lovv rate of the solutions into the patient in order that the rate of infusion could be accurately controlled. The practice of mounting the drip meter between the container for the liquid and the injection needle in series with the tubing has necessitated great care and inconvenience in assembling the equipment besides resulting in a high breakage rate with frequent injury to operators.

It is the main object of the present invention to remove rall the disadvantages heretofore associated with the use of drip meters in connection with apparatus for the administration of uids.

A further object of the present invention is toL eliminate the necessity of utilizing a drip meter as a separate instrumentality in connection with apparatus for the administration of fluids.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for the administration of solutions wherein the ow rate of the solution may be observed through a transparent section of the container itself which forms part of the drip chamber.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus adapted for the administration of relatively opaque uids.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for administering fluids in which a container for the fluid to be administered and the ilow indicating device are packaged and sold as a unit which requires no positioning of the ow indicating device relative to the container prior to use.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a combination closure and drip meter for fluid dispensing apparatus,

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a drip meter for the visual indication and control of solution ow rate that is especially characterized by simplicity of construction and arrangement, ease of assembly and safety to operators.

Other objects and advantages of construction of the apparatus, if not specifically pointed out, will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon recourse to the following detailed description of what is at present `considered the preferred embodiment of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

For a more detailed description of the invention reference is made to the attached drawings in which;

Fig. 1 is an elevational View of the entire dispensing apparatus in inverted dispensing position shown partly in section to illustrate more clearly the construction of the ilow indicating chamber.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly broken away of the apparatus of Fig. 1 shown in the dispensing of opaque liquids.

Fig. 3 is a vertical Across sectional View of .a modified form of flow indicating chamber.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the now indieating chamber shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an elevation partly broken away to show a sectional view oi a further modication of the iiow indicating chamber.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the modification of Fig. 5.

The present invention in general comprises a dispensing apparatus of the type employed in the administration of uids to a patient comprising a flow indicating chamber mounted within the uid receptacle, said chamber beingV at least partially confined by a transparent wall of the fluid receptacle so as to facilitate Visual indication or" the liquid flow rate during the dispensing operation.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figures 1 and 3, the apparatus comprises a container lE for the liquid medicament or nutritional solution which is to be injected into the blood stream of the patient, Vwhich is shown for purposes of illustration in an inverted dispensing position. The lower end of the container, which in the drawing for the purpose of explanation is shown as a glass bottle, is provided with a. metal band Il to which is pivotally connected a wire bail i2 by which the container lil can be mounted in inverted position upon a support which may be any suitable hook, preferably located at an elevated position lrelative to the patient. The container il) is provided with a neck lll whose open end is closed by aclosure i5 which may be made 0f rubber orany other suitably resilient material. The closure I5 includes a body portion which snugly ts into the open neck I4 and an outwardly extending iiange I6 which seats on the upper end of the neck I fl of the container, the construction of the closure with relation to the container neck being such that it hermetically seals the liquid contents Il of the container within the container prior Vto use. i

The closure i5 is further provided with an opening |18 which extends from the inner end of the be later described. The closure I5 is provided likewise with an outlet opening 22 extending from the inner end of the stopper toa point near the outer surface thereof Where prior to the dispensing operation it is separated from a 'depression 23 formed in the top of the stopper by a relatively thin wall 24. With the container inverted to the fluid dispensing position shown in Figure 1, the wall 24 has been punctured by a connector 25 which is frictionally held in the outlet 22 and the wall I9 has been manually punctured to admit air to the upper surface of the liquid I1.

The neck portion of the container is provided with a partition 26 preferably formed of similar material to the closure I5 which is spaced from the outlet 22 so as to form a chamber 21 between the body of liquid and the closure I5. The partition ts snugly between proiections 28, 23a and projections 29, 29d-formed on the interior of the neck portion IG which limit the'inward movement of the partition during assembly on the one hand and resist any tendency of the partition to become displaced under theinuence of hydrostatic pressure when `the 'container is inverted to dispensing position on the other. Y

An opening 3| is formed in the partition 26 for the Vent tube 2l. opening 3Q is formed in the partition 26 terminating in a nozzle 32 which depends into the chember 21 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Y An injection needle 33 communicates with the connector 25 through tubing 34- and the flow of fluid being administered may be controlled by any suitable type of clamp Valve 35. Y

The dispensing apparatus of the present invention may the liquid, after which the air is evacuated from Y the unlled space of the bottle to any vdesired extent and the partition 26 together with the Stopper I5 and vent tube 2l, which have been previoursly assembled, are inserted into theybottle to Vherrn-etically seal the saine.

In preparation of the apparatus for use, the operator suitably moistens the thin Walls land 2ty and then pushes the stern of the connector 215 to which the tubing 34 and the injection needle 33 have been attached, through the thin Wall 24. The action of forcing the connector stem into the resilient stopper expands the opening 22 so that When the pressure is released and the container inverted, there is sufcient frictional resistance to prevent accidental Withdrawal of the connector 25 from the stopper under the combined VWeight of the tubing and clamp valve.

The operator then punctures the thin wall I9 by any suitable instrumentality, such as a hollow needle so as to permit communication with the atmosphere and vent tube 2| to allow the air to pass up through the tube 2'I to the space above the liquid I1 when the container is inverted vto facilitate the free passage of the liquid out of the container. The container is then inverted and suspended by bail I 2 at anyrdesired position above the point of injection of the liquid into the veins of the patient to provide the'proper hydrostatic head on the liquid. Y Y

When the container has been mounted Vin the finverted position and afterbe first filled to some desired point withy the needle- 33, which A lfurther vand more restricted .Y

. posits in the bottom of the drip chamber, thereafter passing from the drip chamber via the connector 22 to the tubing 34 and into the patient through the injection needle 3S. Since an air tight seal is maintained in the drip chamber 21, the rate of flow through the restricted opening 3B, will be `controlled by the adjustment of the clamp valve 35. Y

A noteworthy advantage of the arrangement provided by the present invention is that the iiow rate may be observed irrespective of the relative opacity of the solution and in spite of theY fact that theindicator is mounted within and forms a; pam of the container for the solution to be administered. The suitability of the apparatus for the administration of opaque fluids such as blood, is illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings.

An arrangement in Which the `flow indicating device form-s an integral part of the ycontainer closure itself is shown in Fig. 3 in Which the partition 26 is connected to the closure IlEa by means of the standards 36 and 31 to form theflow indicating chamber 21 which is confined on the sides by Y the transparent container wall'. Y.

In the form of the present Fig. 3 the vent tube opening I8 extends completely through the l.standard 36 thereby eliminating the need of a separate opening through the partition 26. Y

The closure Ida may if desired be provided with anY additional opening 38A whichA extends from the lower end of the closure through Ythe;standard 31 to a point near the vouter surface of the stopper where it is closed by a relatively thin wall 39 Which separates the opening from a depression I0 formed Within the top of the stopper. The standard- 31 is severed from the partition 26 as at @I in order to provide for stripping the stopper after molding to form the drip-chamber 2l!V and thus to obviate the need for a loose or separable core in the mold. In the modification shown in Fig. 5 thepartition 26 in integral withV the stopper I5b on one side thereof and inclined upwardly therefrom and bent over into the form of a semi-circle' which abuts against thewall ofthecontainer Iliiniiuid sealing engagement to form a iiow indicating chain-ber 21, said chamber being on one vside conned by a transparent wall of the-container! The Yoperation of the dispensing apparatus shown in Figures 3 to 6 inclusive is identica-lwith that described hereinbefore with Vrespect to Figure 1.

In the Athree specific embodiments of 'the present invention herein describedfor pur-poses of illustration the flowr indicati-ngy chamber is formed in part of a container section thereby enabling,y the flowl rate of the solution b'eling administered to be readily and conveniently observed irrespective VWall to provide vsual 'indicationA of the solution Yflow rate.

Since certain-changes ma y"be made inthe above construction and diierent' -ernbodimen'tsfof the invention could be made without departing from invention shown in the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

l. A dispensing apparatus for administration or" iluid to a patient, comprising a receptacle which is at least in part transparent and substantially all of which is capable of receiving liquid to be dispensed, a closure for said receptacle, means forming an outlet through said closure, means forming a partition between said outlet and said body of liquid when the receptacle is inverted, said means engaging a transparent wall of the receptacle at a point spaced from said closure to form a drip chamber, a nozzle disposed in said partition whereby liquid from the said body owing from the nozzle at a rate insumcient to provide continuous flow will leave the nozzle in the form of drops which are visible through the transparent wall of said chamber, and means providing for the admission of air through said closure to a point above the said body of liquid to permit the drops to issue from the nozzle.

2. A dispensing apparatus for administration of fluid to a patient, comprising a receptacle which' is at least in part transparent and substantially all of which is capable of receiving liquid to be dispensed, a closure for said receptacle, means forming an outlet through said closure, a partition between said outlet means and said body of liquid defining, with the transparent wall of said receptacle, a chamber, means providing a drip opening for escape of liquid from the receptacle into said chamber so that the liquid flow rate may be observed through the said transparent wall of the receptacle, means connected with said outlet for conveying the liquid to the patient and means for admitting air above the surface of the liquid to allow said liquid to emerge through the drip opening in the form of drops.

3. The combination of a receptacle having a neck portion and a medicinal solution contained therein under vacuum, a stopper for the receptacle, means forming an outlet through said stopper, means forming a partition in said neck portion, said latter means abutting against a wall of the receptacle at a point spaced from said stopper to form a drip chamber, means providing a drip opening for escape of the liquid from the receptacle into said chamber, means forming a part of said neck portion for visualizing the flow rate of said liquid in said chamber and means provided for the admission of air to the interior of said receptacle to allow the solution to flow through the drip opening by gravity.

4. A dispensing apparatus of the type for metering liquids comprising a fluid receptacle having a transparent wall, a closure for said receptacle, means forming an outlet throughsaid closure, means spaced from said outlet upstream thereof and engaging a portion of said wall to form a partition for said liquid when the receptacle is inverted and define a, chamber between the said body of liquid and said closure, said means being provided with a nozzle depending into said chamber and forming a part of th'e closure so that the flow rate of said liquid may be observed through the transparent wall of the receptacle.

5. A dispensing apparatus of the type for metering a body of liquid comprising a fluid receptacle having a transparent neck portion, a closure seated in the mouth of said neck portion, means forming a partition spaced from said outlet means and engaging a wall of said neck portion to form a partition between the said outlet means and the body of liquid when the receptacle is inverted thereby defining a chamber closed at least in part by said wall, means providing a drip opening for escape of the liquid from the receptacle into said chamber so that the liquid flow rate is visible through the said wall and means for admitting air above the body of liquid to allow dropwise ow through the drip opening.

6. A dispensing apparatus of the type for metering liquids comprising a receptacle having an open mouth for `a body of liquid to be dispensed and a transparent neck portion, a closure for the mouth of the receptacle, means forming an outlet through said closure, means forming a partition extending across the neck of said receptacle at a point spaced from said closure to define a chamber therebetween, said chamber being closed by a section of the transparent neck portion of the receptacle, means providing a drip opening for escape of the liquid from the receptacle into said chamber whereby the flow rate of the liquid may be observed and means for admitting air above the body of liquid.

ALBERT I-IALDANE' GEE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS are of record in the 

